Over 1,000 private medical centres run without licence

There are around 1,027 unauthorised private hospitals, clinics, diagnostic centres, and blood banks across the country that are operating without a valid licence, according to a report by Directorate General of Health Services.

A total of 15,233 private hospitals, clinics, diagnostic centres, and blood banks have licences to run operations, said the report.

DGHS produced the report before the High Court today through Deputy Attorney General Tushar Kanti Roy in compliance with its previous order while hearing a writ petition.

The bench of Justice Mustafa Zaman Islam and Justice Md Atabullah asked DAG Tushar to submit the report by swearing an affidavit and fixed February 18 for further hearings on the matter.

The petition was filed by Supreme Court lawyer ABM Shahjahan Akanda Masum and Shamim Ahmed, father of five-year-old Ayaan, who died following a circumcision at United Medical College Hospital in Dhaka on January 9, seeking its directive on the authorities concerned to give Tk 1 crore to Ayaan's family and to probe the incident.